You come from...?

Just curious: why is the list arranged by continents (it's OK for me to consider three different ones in America), with the exception of North America???

Blacksword wrote: Give me Reading anyday, Cert! At least you have Sound Machine and a few good pubs. I was in the Brewers Tap (?) near Sweeneys (the pie shop) the other week, Saturday lunchtime and they were playing the Yes album behind the bar. Oh, and that vinyl shop in Bracknell has gone BTW. You were referring to the one next to Dodgy Dave the Tatooist, outside the market, above Figaro hairdressers, and The florists?? I went looking for it the other week, no joy.. Sound Machine, however always pleases. As for the Hexagon, dont forget Jethro Tull have played there, as have It Bites, Hawkwind and Motorhead. In Bracknell we have the The Cellar bar at South Hill Park arts centre. I was told that The Stranglers played there in 1975 or something, but I'm not convinced. The arts centre itself is frequented by Ascot and Sunningdale types. Bracknell folk regard it as 'poncey' and are far more into a good night out at the multiplex followed by a kebab and a punch up.

Yeah - I was just highlighting the bad bits...

The Brewer's Tap is OK - but the Horse and Jockey (Just up Castle Hill) has loads of great "guest ales" and the Hook and Tackle just through the tunnel under the IDR near the Oracle roundabout is a great pub - good music, good beer and generally friendly people.

Reading has its good bits too - the Sound Machine is great for cheapo vinyl, but Bev usually knows what he's putting out, and quite a lot of the "good stuff" seems to be scratched... The new Oxfam Music shop occasionally turns up some good bits and pieces - there's always some prog in there, and Replay Records has vinyl in tip-top condition (although you pay for it). The other shop is Rusty's - just along the Oxford Road, which can be good.

I saw Hawkwind, Jethro Tull and Blackfoot at the Hexagon - and have performed at South Hill Park a few times; Handel's "Acis and Galatea", Mozart's "Magic Flute", a wierd set of 20th Century music conducted by the composer, and with my band "Tranceplant" - supporting "The Skrews" in the Cellar bar. It's not a bad place!

Give me Reading anyday, Cert! At least you have Sound Machine and a few good pubs. I was in the Brewers Tap (?) near Sweeneys (the pie shop) the other week, Saturday lunchtime and they were playing the Yes album behind the bar. Oh, and that vinyl shop in Bracknell has gone BTW. You were referring to the one next to Dodgy Dave the Tatooist, outside the market, above Figaro hairdressers, and The florists?? I went looking for it the other week, no joy.. Sound Machine, however always pleases.

As for the Hexagon, dont forget Jethro Tull have played there, as have It Bites, Hawkwind and Motorhead. In Bracknell we have the The Cellar bar at South Hill Park arts centre. I was told that The Stranglers played there in 1975 or something, but I'm not convinced. The arts centre itself is frequented by Ascot and Sunningdale types. Bracknell folk regard it as 'poncey' and are far more into a good night out at the multiplex followed by a kebab and a punch up.

Blacksword wrote:

I live 10 miles west of Bracknell, in the epicentre of metropolitan England that is Reading, and have to say that that ball really is the very best part of Bracknell...

Reading has every junk food franchise you can think of - several branches of most of them, every consumer nightmare store you can name, and hundreds of sucky chain pubs - the ones that invariably have crap music so loud that you can't actually hold a conversation, and sell draught piss and bottled alchopops. This is because they are just as invariably frequented by children, who smash the shop windows and leave pavement pizzas all around town.

Reading is lucky in that it has 4 vinyl stores  - (and I know of at least one in Bracknell - on the 1st floor of that manky little parade of shops near the rear of the covered section of Bracknell Market). Reading's "market" comprises a dodgy shoe seller, a fruit and vegetable stall that sells mainly rotting produce, a meat stall that I go nowhere near (so can't comment ), and 25 stalls selling mobile phone covers.

Reading's famous statue is of a lion, which caused the sculptor to kill himself after he realised that it is anatomically incorrect - if a lion walked with its legs like that, it would fall over. It has since been reported that scientists have since discovered that lions do walk like that and don't fall over... marvellous what they can prove with science.

http://www.readinglibraries.org.uk/news/greatpeople/simonds. htm

Reading is lucky enough to be situated near the river Thames and the Kennet and Avon canal, but don't swim in either whatever you do, as you are likely to be pierced by the litter of syringes that the druggies chuck in there every day. Getting drugs in Reading is easy - just ask any child.

Nightlife apart from the many pubs is thriving - you can get some real culture at Reading's famous Hexagon theatre, where typical fare includes Jim Davidson, Half a Sixpence by the Sainsbury Singers, an evening of popular classics by the Wokingham symphony orchestra or Bjorn Again. If that's not enough, there is always the casino and a couple of dodgy nightclubs you can visit - but make sure you wear a bullet-proof vest and watch your drink carefully!